"Throughout history, most governments have been autocratic. There are currently between 65 and 81 autocratic countries. The number is rising. This trend doesn’t always make the news when it lacks the media appeal of violence. Most modern constitutional democracies don’t transition to autocracy through tanks and troops; they do so through lawyers and legislation."
In response to the other line of commentary, very easy to read -- the flow was incredibly smooth and well presented. It's rare for such high-quality political work to be published on this platform.
Thx. I really appreciate that. Someone sent a message saying this first post reads like a blend between two authors, both of whom I highly admire. I’m not that good. However, it gave me a clear view of a North Star. I’ll do my best to stay consistent.
Good work here Deric. I look forward to reading more.
One thing that concerns me is that, though there is great information out there, everything from HCR to people like you, I don't know how we reach people who don't have an upper education. Hell, even an 8th grade education. On a daily basis I feel like I'm preaching to the choir, on SM anyway. I DO talk to strangers regularly, but I'm not exactly hanging out with maga. How do we reach those people? I sometimes think HCR needs to do a Cliff notes version of her writing!
Thanks for your comment! That's a fair point. I wish I had an easy answer. There are indeed brilliant people doing great work that may not be accessible to everyone. We live in a clip culture where short-form video content rules the day. Sometimes big ideas don’t easily fit into those spaces. Perhaps the greatest challenge is simply getting people — regardless of their level of formal education — to step out of their bubbles and consider ideas they may not be exposed to. That requires patience and stepping outside our own bubbles. Democratic politicians have also learned the hard way that pointing out problems isn’t as effective as discussing solutions.
When I considered launching Emergency Powers, I didn’t have a particular audience in mind. I did ponder, if I were graced with one, what language might be most effective (next week’s post is about political language). I hope to meet readers where they are. Substack tends to skew towards college-educated readers. I’m a nerd, and that feels safe and “respectable.” But I also find personal and emotional connections just as valuable. Overall, these are human issues that impact all of us. I believe they can be explained in different ways to different audiences, as long as people are interested and engaged. I’m unsure there’s a silver bullet. But if you find one, let me know! Thanks again for reading!
Yeah, I do realize it's a difficult question to answer. People have to want to engage. Explaining things different ways to different audiences is important. I guess it's truly about getting them to WANT to know more and get involved. When you mentioned our " clip culture/short-form video content," I have to admit that THAT is unfortunately, where I think it might have to go if you're going to reach the masses.
I think about these things frequently. Like, there's just got to be a way to get people to pay closer attention. I know! We'll PAY them to pay attention! Seems to be working for ICE Funny, not funny.
"Throughout history, most governments have been autocratic. There are currently between 65 and 81 autocratic countries. The number is rising. This trend doesn’t always make the news when it lacks the media appeal of violence. Most modern constitutional democracies don’t transition to autocracy through tanks and troops; they do so through lawyers and legislation."
Swinging for the fences here. Nice work, Deric.
Thanks, Donnie! Honored you gave it a read.
In response to the other line of commentary, very easy to read -- the flow was incredibly smooth and well presented. It's rare for such high-quality political work to be published on this platform.
Thx. I really appreciate that. Someone sent a message saying this first post reads like a blend between two authors, both of whom I highly admire. I’m not that good. However, it gave me a clear view of a North Star. I’ll do my best to stay consistent.
Good work here Deric. I look forward to reading more.
One thing that concerns me is that, though there is great information out there, everything from HCR to people like you, I don't know how we reach people who don't have an upper education. Hell, even an 8th grade education. On a daily basis I feel like I'm preaching to the choir, on SM anyway. I DO talk to strangers regularly, but I'm not exactly hanging out with maga. How do we reach those people? I sometimes think HCR needs to do a Cliff notes version of her writing!
Thanks for your comment! That's a fair point. I wish I had an easy answer. There are indeed brilliant people doing great work that may not be accessible to everyone. We live in a clip culture where short-form video content rules the day. Sometimes big ideas don’t easily fit into those spaces. Perhaps the greatest challenge is simply getting people — regardless of their level of formal education — to step out of their bubbles and consider ideas they may not be exposed to. That requires patience and stepping outside our own bubbles. Democratic politicians have also learned the hard way that pointing out problems isn’t as effective as discussing solutions.
When I considered launching Emergency Powers, I didn’t have a particular audience in mind. I did ponder, if I were graced with one, what language might be most effective (next week’s post is about political language). I hope to meet readers where they are. Substack tends to skew towards college-educated readers. I’m a nerd, and that feels safe and “respectable.” But I also find personal and emotional connections just as valuable. Overall, these are human issues that impact all of us. I believe they can be explained in different ways to different audiences, as long as people are interested and engaged. I’m unsure there’s a silver bullet. But if you find one, let me know! Thanks again for reading!
Yeah, I do realize it's a difficult question to answer. People have to want to engage. Explaining things different ways to different audiences is important. I guess it's truly about getting them to WANT to know more and get involved. When you mentioned our " clip culture/short-form video content," I have to admit that THAT is unfortunately, where I think it might have to go if you're going to reach the masses.
I think about these things frequently. Like, there's just got to be a way to get people to pay closer attention. I know! We'll PAY them to pay attention! Seems to be working for ICE Funny, not funny.